How
Drugs Move through the Body
The
effect of a drug on the body depends on a number of
processes that the drug undergoes as it moves through
the body. All these processes together are known as
pharmacokinetics (literally, "motion of the drug").
First in these processes is the administration of the
drug after which it must be absorbed into the bloodstream.
From the bloodstream, the drug is distributed throughout
the body to various tissues and organs. As the drug
is metabolized, or broken down and used by the body,
it goes through chemical changes that produce metabolites,
or altered forms of the drug, most of which have no
effect on the body. Finally, the drug and its metabolites
are eliminated from the body.
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